Short Circuit
by Cielito
Summary: When John and his team encounter upon a new lab in the west side of Atlantis, they have no idea the dangers that lie within. A challenge for Angst Week in the John and Teyla thread in Gateworld.


I own nothing except this silly fic...in response to my own challenge for Angst Week in the Gateworld John and Teyla Discussion Thread.

This is dedicated to my wonderful friends in the John and Teyla thread in Gateworld for putting up with me..and for always feeding my need to have more John and Teyla...and to all of you John and Teyla fans...

I"m not thrilled with the title...so if anyone has any better suggestions, let me know...

Finally, my huge thanks to my sweetie..ElectricTrekker for always making my poor writing sound so great!

Hugs Sweetie...

**Short Circuit**

**by Cielito**

Somewhere far on the western pier of Atlantis…

As usual, John preferred to be golfing, flying, running, or even sparring instead of being stuck with Rodney out on his scientific adventures. But of course, they were a team, and that meant tagging along on his trips, so here he was leaning against the wall next to Teyla who found it intriguing that the Ancients had a second master control room hidden away in the other side of the city.

"So, let me get this straight, McKay. The Ancients built two control rooms in the city?" asked a perplexed John.

Rodney, who was underneath the console attempting to turn on the controls, stuck out his irritated face.

"Let me explain it to you for the thousandth time. The Ancients used all sorts of backup devices. We know that the city is capable of protecting itself once it detects a threat. When we first came to Atlantis, the city un-submerged itself."

"The second time, you mean," interrupted John as he moved away from Teyla and closer to Rodney.

"What?" Rodney asked impatiently.

"The second time we came to Atlantis," John answered. "The first time you drowned, remember?"

Standing by the doorway and bored out of his mind, Ronon finally found something to bite on.

"You drowned, McKay?"

"No. I mean, I did…but…why are you bringing this up now, Sheppard?"

Teyla rolled her eyes and stepped into the conversation with a sharp, "Ronon!"

With a grin on his face John added, "It's alright, Ronon. I'll tell you all about it tonight while we watch the wrestling match."

With one swift move, he clipped his P-90 to his vest and walked over to Rodney.

"Colonel, as I recall, I won the game last night," Teyla reminded him. "We are watching no wrestling."

John loved it when Teyla joined the fun.

"I don't remember that, do you Ronon?"

Ronon shook his head with a wolfish grin.

Ignoring both of their comments, she continued. "I do not care to see men in tight undergarments, sweating as they injure each others' bodies in a heated and barbaric spectacle which you call entertainment. We are watching, _Gone with the Wind_ tonight."

Teyla stood in front of Sheppard and Ronon with a menacing glare.

She turned and walked towards Rodney.

With a cocky smile, John teased, "Are you sure about that Teyla 'cause you don't seem to mind it when I'm practicing with you in the gym."

"We do not wrestle, Colonel," she answered, refusing to be baited. "We spar and practice for training purposes, and besides, you do not wear any tight pants. On the contrary, your pants are usually extremely loose."

John smiled in her direction with a sparkle in his eyes. "Aw, so you do notice!"

She looked back at him with a hint of pink on her cheeks.

"I could lend you some of my pants, Sheppard." Ronon decided to join in the banter.

Sick of listening to them, Rodney interrupted, "As exciting as this conversation is, can we please move on and stop with the pointless comments?"

"I am sorry, Dr. McKay. Please continue," Teyla apologized.

"As I was saying, when the city detected the virus, it shut down all access to protect itself, so it's only logical that we'd find a master control room," he explained excitedly while inspecting every button in the console.

"You mean, a second control room," added Ronon with a smirk on his face.

Rodney afforded him a quick glance. Teyla shook her head.

"Yeah, well. Just remember that everything in this place also has some sort of deadly side effect, and I don't know about you, but I like the fact that it's been rather quiet around here for the past two weeks," John said as he continued to walk around the large room.

Two days ago, the sensors indicated an energy reading in that part of the city. John and Ronon went to investigate and soon discovered a hidden room, which to Rodney's excitement housed another main control room with access to everything in the city.

In the briefing, Weir's orders were to clear the premises, check for security, and then allow Rodney and the team precautionary access to the room.

"Dr. McKay, do you not risk additional power loss if you activate these controls?" asked Teyla, who was busy inspecting a different corner of the room.

Teyla marveled at the numerous screens that viewed the main control room, the gate room and specific points all over the city which Rodney explained to them earlier were key control points around the city, some of which had yet to be explored.

"Teyla, there's always a risk, but for the sake of science and our own knowledge, I have to figure out the real purpose and function of this room. I mean for all we know, this could give us more options or even access to another ZedPM or more drones for that matter. The possibilities are endless. I mean, seriously, it could be something as significant as –"

"All right, we get the point McKay," interrupted John. "Just do the whole science genius thing, and let's get this over with. I have a bad feeling about this."

"Are those your spidey senses again, Sheppard?"

It was Rodney's payback time.

"Haha, funny McKay. Keep practicing and you just might make it in standup comedy."

"What does this do?" asked Ronon as he stared at a blue light in the far corner of the room. Just as he was about to touch it, Rodney bolted towards him pushing him aside, or at least attempting to.

Ronon gave him a menacing look.

"DON"T TOUCH anything! I mean remember what happened to me when I put on that shield. Never mind. You weren't around then," mumbled Rodney as he moved back to the control table in the center of the room.

Teyla moved closer to Ronon. Both stared at the anxious scientist.

"McKay, can we get on with this?" Sheppard asked as he moved over to the controls.

"Teyla, will you hold this for me?" asked Rodney as he held out his computer to Teyla.

"Of course."

"Okay! Here we go." An excited Rodney stood in front of the controls with his hands positioned in the main console.

"This is the moment of truth. Brace yourself, you are about to witness an amazing and –"

"McKay!" John gritted his teeth.

Teyla and Ronon glanced at each other with identical smiles.

"Fine, fine." Rodney set his fingers on the controls for activation.

Nothing happened.

John shrugged his shoulders, Teyla raised an eyebrow, and Ronon sighed.

"I…I…must have touched the wrong button," Rodney whispered.

"Ya think?" replied John

Rodney grumbled something under his breath. "Okay, here we go. This is the right one. Watch and learn." He placed his fingers on the controls again.

Nothing.

"Okay, this is getting tedious, McKay. Clearly, you have no idea what the hell you're doing. Should I get Zelenka in here?" John asked, knowing full well what his reaction would be.

Teyla and Ronon looked away, hiding their laughter.

"Zelenka! Look, Sheppard, I'll have you know that this is way out of his league. The man can't even turn on the lights to our lab without messing something up. I mean, really, of all the low, inconceivable –"

"Dr. McKay, is it not possible that since this room is hidden from the rest of the city, that perhaps the controls can only be activated by a certain designated group of people?" Teyla asked abruptly.

"Well, I mean…NO! It can't be. Everything in this city is accessible to those who have the ATA gene. I have the ATA Gene. I should be able to access these controls."

"What if the ATA Gene is not detected by these controls? What if only the real Ancients can activate this room?" Teyla asked.

"What, you think only Sheppard can turn on this thing?" joked Rodney.

Sheppard moved forward to the controls and moved Rodney out of the way.

"I've turned everything else on before you ever could," responded John.

"Let Sheppard try it, McKay," added Ronon

"Fine, if you think Ancient Sheppard can do this, then go ahead," Rodney huffed, moving aside for Sheppard to have access to the controls.

"Don't worry McKay. I won't tell a soul," smirked John. He moved forward, unclipped his P-90, and then placed his fingers on the controls, instantly prompting the room to life.

A wide-eyed McKay couldn't believe it. "Now, why would the Ancients only want certain people access to this room? How is it possible that it detected your gene and not mine when it's the same?"

"Not the same Rodney. I was born with it, yours was created in a lab with a rat," John pointed out with a grin on his face.

"That's almost funny, Sheppard," said McKay as he went to the controls again while Teyla and Ronon started laughing in the back.

Trying to control her laughter, Teyla decided to help the poor doctor's ego.

"Dr. McKay, I am certain that the ancestors wanted this room to be as safe as possible. You yourself stated that the city always has a backup plan and a way to detect things. Surely the Ancients wanted only their true kind to have control over this room, especially since it is so significant."

"Well, I don't know about…" Rodney stopped mid-sentence.

Upon seeing his face, John, Teyla, and Ronon moved closer.

"What?" John asked anxiously.

"This, this…is…." gasped Rodney.

"WHAT? asked an annoyed John.

"Look." Rodney pointed to one of the large screens on the wall. It displayed several dots.

John moved closer to inspect the image closely. "Are these..?" A shocked Sheppard glanced back at Rodney who joined him in front of the screen.

"Planets in Pegasus. YES! And I bet you anything, these are planets housing ZedPM's."

Rodney could not hide the excitement in his voice.

"How can you be certain?" asked Teyla as she set her hands down on the console.

"How can I be certain? Teyla, have you forgotten who you're speaking to?"

"McKay! Are you _sure_?" emphasized John.

Suddenly, the blue light that Ronon observed earlier, released a spark and a flash of light, blinding them for several seconds.

John recovered first. "What the hell was that? Mckay!"

A frantic Rodney shouted, "My eyes! I can't see a thing. I...everything is blurry!"

"It's not your eyes, McKay!" a husky voice came from the other end of the room.

"Ronon, you alright?" John asked.

"Yeah."

"Sure, you ask him but not me! You just assume that I had something to do with it!"

"Shut up, McKay, and figure out what just happened. Teyla?"

No response.

"TEYLA?" He stumbled toward the controls, Ronon and McKay close behind.

The room was beginning to clear, and John saw Teyla lying unconscious on the floor.

"Teyla?" John knelt beside her.

"John?" Teyla began to open her eyes.

"It had something to do with that light." Ronon walked over to scrutinize the light on the wall.

"Carson, we need medical assistance. Teyla's been hit by some sort of force field," John radioed as Teyla shakily began to stand.

Gently holding her down, John scanned her body to check for any injuries.

"Don't move. Wait until Carson gets here and checks you out," he ordered, still concerned but clearly more at ease now that she was awake.

Rodney was finally able to form coherent sentences. "What did you touch, Teyla?" he finally asked.

"I simply put my hands on the console. I did not press anything," she told him, fatigue evident in her voice.

"McKay, we're getting out of here as soon as Carson checks Teyla out," John told him, still holding onto her shoulder.

"Colonel, I am fine." Teyla began to stand, but John gave her a disapproving look. She in turn gave him what was meant to be a reassuring smile.

"Teyla, that thing, whatever that was, it knocked you out! I don't want to take any risks."

"Colonel, please. This is very important." With his help, she stood, and as soon as she straightened, the light activated again causing Ronon to yell in alarm.

"Sheppard!"

Instinctively, John grabbed Teyla and dropped to the floor, grunting as his shoulder hit the console.

"McKay!" yelled John.

"I don't know! I can't explain it!" Rodney yelled hysterically.

"You started this!" John yelled at Rodney.

With concern in his eyes, he looked down at Teyla. "Alright, we're getting the hell out of here, now!"

With his arms wrapped around Teyla's waist, he could feel her breathing heavily underneath him.

He leaned closer and spoke softly. "You alright?"

He was worried. Whatever that thing was, it was clearly only interested in Teyla.

"Yes," she whispered.

"Okay, this is what we are going to do. I'm going to stand up, and when I tell you, quickly get out of here and don't look back. We'll be right behind you."

She nodded.

"Ready?"

"Yes."

He looked back at McKay who was pressing every control switch in the console.

"McKay, don't let that thing hit Teyla again!"

"Oh, great! Put the entire burden on me. How am I going to do that when I don't even know how it happened?" McKay placed his fingers over the consoles, looking for a way to turn off the power.

"I'll take care of it!" Ronon took out his stunner and aimed straight at the light.

"Look, I think this is beyond our capabilities right now!" John said as he carefully released Teyla from his arms. "I don't think shooting it is going to help, Ronon."

"You got any better ideas?" Ronon stood right in front of the light blocking it completely with his body while still aiming the stunner.

"I don't think you're scaring it enough, Ronon!" added Rodney.

"Listen to me! I'm going to get Teyla out of here. You two get out as soon as we're clear. Got it? We'll figure this out as soon as we're safe," John ordered as he slowly stood, never taking his eyes away from Teyla.

John noticed that Teyla was beginning to look very pale. Whatever that thing did to her was affecting her quickly.

"Hang on Teyla." He gave Ronon a quick glance, and Rodney shook his head.

And then, his nightmare began.

He heard a horrified voice which shook every single part of his body in terror.

Teyla.

"John!"

He turned to see Teyla being dragged from the floor by some force underneath her at an alarming speed. Instantly, he flung himself to the ground hoping to grab her but she was moving too fast. Instead, he hit the ground hard.

Ronon and Rodney both ran after Teyla only to see the energy pull her body through the room.

The blue light shining underneath Teyla's body stopped right in front of a wall on the other side of the room. John, Rodney and Ronon watched as Teyla's body was lifted off the floor, and slammed against the wall with such force, it knocked her unconscious.

John yelled at McKay as he ran towards her.

"McKay, I'm not going to say it again. SHUT THAT THING DOWN, NOW!"

A terrified Rodney raced back to the controls, frantically pressing all the buttons, praying that one of them would turn off whatever it was that was causing Teyla harm.

Terrified, John touched her cheeks, anxious to see her open her eyes.

"Teyla? Can you hear me?"

In pain, she slowly opened her eyes. With a bloody nose and a bump on the back of her head, John figured this was only the beginning. He knew he had to get her out of there soon.

He leaned in close to hear her voice, "John, no matter what happens, we are still watching _Gone with the Wind_ tonight."

He smiled, knowing she was trying to ease his tension. "Don't worry; I'll get you out of here in no time."

When Ronon pulled out his stunner, John turned and used his body to shield Teyla.

Furiously, he lashed out at Ronon. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Shooting it!"

"Well, there's a small flaw in your plan. Teyla's RIGHT in the way!"

Just when he was about to speak, Ronon witnessed something even more horrifying.

From the wall, a blue light emerged, encircling parts of Teyla's body. Panicked, John watched as rings of blue light restrained Teyla's neck, writs, waist, and ankles.

"Stand aside, Sheppard, or I will shoot you!"

Determined to save his friend, Ronon aimed his stunner at Teyla's ankle.

"You can't shoot her, Ronon!" John stood right in front of Ronon's stunner.

"I'm not going to kill her, Sheppard. I can kill it."

"You don't know that it will! We'll find another way!"

"Colonel!" Carson and his team stormed into the room. He froze when he saw Teyla's crumpled body up against the wall with Ronon pointing his stunner at John's feet.

"Colonel, what in blazing hell is going on in here?" As his senses returned, he moved through them and pushed them aside.

"Teyla, love. Haven't I told you to leave these brutes and work with me in the infirmary?"

John turned to look at Teyla who still had the energy to smile at the doctor's comment.

"I have thought of it on numerous occasions, Dr. Becket. But they somehow manage to convince me to stay." She tilted her head and smiled at John.

Never looking away from her eyes, he replied, "We just know a good thing, when we see one!"

"Ay, love. He knows you're the only one that can ground him."

Carson took her vitals. He didn't look happy. John knew it wasn't good.

It was plainly written on his face that they only had a small amount of time before something else went wrong. Faintly, he brushed his fingers across her restrained ones. Teyla gently squeezed his fingers in reassurance.

The small gesture caught Carson's eyes, but he pretended not to notice.

"Teyla, love. I'm certain that Colonel Sheppard already has a million ideas running through his head to get you out of here."

She nodded.

Against his will, John let go of her grip and looked to Carson for some answers.

Carson pulled John aside. "Her pulse is weak. She may have internal bleeding. What in bloody hell happened here, Colonel?"

"I"ll explain later doc. McKay, give me some good news."

"It's not like I'm holding back on you, Sheppard. This is way beyond my comprehension. I need more time."

He whispered angrily, "Teyla doesn't have much time!"

Suddenly, a screen lit up showing the outline of a body – Teyla's. Next to the screen a display of symbols and names appeared.

"Don't do anything without my authorization!" He called to Ronon. It wasn't an order so much as it was a threat.

John ran to Rodney who was already looking up at the screens.

"McKay!"

"It's scanning her body," Rodney stated.

"What?" John watched as Rodney stepped up to the screen.

The numbers flashed rapidly until finally stopping. A series of symbols flashed on the screen while still displaying Teyla's silhouette. Without warning an alarm went off. A frustrated John looked back at Teyla who was still under the watchful eye of Carson and Ronon.

"MCKAY!"

Without taking his eyes off the screen and barely audible, Rodney spoke with fear tingeing his voice, "It's Ancient. Those symbols are Ancient. It's reading Teyla's genetic make-up. It identified one specific gene that makes her different from the rest of us."

"Her Wraith Gene!" John exclaimed in horror.

John ran frantically back to Teyla who was still restrained against the wall.

"Ronon, shoot it. But don't hurt Teyla!" he yelled running as if he knew they were out of time.

Ronon aimed.

"Colonel!?" yelled Carson.

"It's going to kill her!" John looked at Teyla who was not showing a bit of alarm in her face, merely waiting for the inevitable.

"WAIT!" cried Rodney.

It was at that moment that a long, thick needle came out from the wall, sinking deep into the left side of Teyla's neck, causing her to cry out in pain.

Startled, John looked at her again to see the needle puncturing her neck.

Quickly, John grabbed the needle. Suddenly, a ray of light came out of the wall shooting into all three of them and causing them to fall back. John immediately jumped back to Teyla's side, but it was too late.

Whatever was in that syringe had emptied into Teyla's body.

John tugged on the syringe but without any use. The contents were already coursing through her body, and she began to convulse almost immediately.

Carson and Ronon ran up beside her but there was nothing they could do as they helplessly watched her body slowly stop convulsing.

"John," she barely whispered.

He came up close to her, gently pulling back a strand of hair from her sweaty face.

"We're getting you out of here, I promise."

From a distance, McKay exclaimed, "I think I've got it!" All three turned to stare at him. "I'm not sure, though."

"Do it!" yelled John.

He pushed a series of buttons on the console, and the alarm ceased.

"Colonel Sheppard, what's going on? We've been unable to communicate with anyone in the city. All systems are down and we've lost vital controls," a familiar voice came from over John's earpiece.

"Elizabeth, we have a situation down here. Teyla's been restrained by some force that's recognizing her as a Wraith."

"I'll send some additional marines to assist, Colonel."

"No, we don't know what we are dealing with here, Elizabeth. I'll keep you informed as soon as…"

Suddenly, from above the ceiling, a blue light began to flash, circling the room. As they waited to see what would come next, they saw that from the ceiling a metal sheet slowly coming down, shielding the main entrance to the room.

Rodney cried, "This is not good. It's a countdown!"

Breathing heavily, John assessed the situation in a heartbeat. He glanced back at Teyla. Her neck was bleeding, her wrists were purple, her waist was bruising, and her ankles were swollen.

He knew what he had to do.

"All right, everybody out!" With a swift wave of his hand, he signaled everyone to leave.

Carson's assistants left with a nod from the doctor, but Carson, Rodney, and Ronon did not move.

"Look, I need you guys to get out of here. Rodney, you go to the main control room and find a way to deactivate or shut down this room." Rodney dashed out of the room, while Carson remained.

"Carson, I need you to be ready. Once I get Teyla out of here, she's going to need immediate medical care." Carson nodded, gave Teyla a quick squeeze on the shoulder, and left.

John glanced at Ronon. "Ronon, I need you to – "

"I'm not going anywhere!" he growled.

"If anything happens here, I need you out there doing my job for this city. I can't worry about the rest of Atlantis while I'm watching over Teyla."

"I'm not leaving her alone."

"Who said anything about leaving her alone? I'm not going anywhere without her!"

Both men stared at each other, needing to be understood.

"I'm here because of her," he said as one last attempt to tell John just how much she meant to him.

"So am I, but you have to leave." John understood.

As the new shield wall continued to descend, John knew it would only be a matter of minutes before they would be locked in the room with no way out.

"Ronon, out! That's an order!" yelled John.

Ronon looked back at Teyla, and she nodded in return.

"Go!"

"I will see you soon, Teyla."

As he slowly moved out of the room, a loud groan of frustration escaped his lips, and he fired at the blue light.

"GO!"

Ronon stepped back and looked at Sheppard. With fury in his eyes, he left the room.

John turned to Teyla who was getting weaker by the minute.

"We really need to teach him how to control that temper of his," he sighed, leaning over to Teyla who stared at him in anger.

"You cannot stay here. You must leave now. Find a way to help me from a safe distance."

Lightening the mood for a second as he thought of what to do next, he couldn't help his sarcasm. "Are you kidding me, and miss the opportunity of finally being alone with you?"

She knew that it was just a matter of seconds before John would be trapped in there with her with no way out.

"You must leave," Teyla pleaded as she watched the main door slowly seal, "You cannot stay!"

Staring at the controls, he watched the screen still displaying Teyla's body.

"I'm not going anywhere without you!"

"Atlantis needs you," she gasped in fear.

Her words stopped him for a minute, and he gave her a weak smile, "It needs you, too."

He began to look around the room in hopes of finding anything that could help. The walls continued to close with the new shield, and the main entrance was nearly locked.

Teyla watched in panic as she realized that John was not going to leave without her.

"Please John, you can find a way to save me out in the main control room."

"No, that's why I sent McKay."

He went to the control console and pressed all of the buttons but nothing worked. In frustration, he grabbed his P-90 that was on the console, and used it to beat the controls, startling Teyla.

Realizing the scene he was making, he turned and smiled at her. "Sometimes when the TV gets a bit fuzzy, a good whip does the trick," he lifted up his P-90 intending to continue his rage, "In this case, I'm not trying to get a better picture."

She turned to see only a small gap left of the main entrance, enough to fit one person through. Panicked, she cried out to him, "There is no time! The door is almost closed. John, please. The fate of this war against the Wraith lies in you. Atlantis cannot do it without you."

Not looking back, he set down his P-90, unzipped his vest, unfastened his belt gun, and with an uncanny fury stared at the large screen displaying Teyla's outline.

As he moved toward the screen, facing the object of his misery he stated, "You're just saying that 'cause you like me."

He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He looked around for something that could help. On the floor was a large wrench that Rodney had left behind. He grabbed it and ran back to the screen.

With fire in his eyes and power in his grip, John was determined to win this war. For a brief second, he glanced at Teyla. Then, he threw the wrench straight at the screen.

Bull's-eye!

John didn't move or flinch as flying glass scattered across the room.

Teyla closed her eyes, no longer able to hold the tears from streaming down her cheeks.

As his mind rendered to their demise, he listened to Teyla's cry, and he remembered why he stayed with her.

He cleared his thoughts and moved towards her, but stopped abruptly as a sharp pain caused him to hold his shoulder.

He thought he heard a bone shift out of place from his shoulder earlier when he threw the wrench, but he didn't care.

All that mattered was standing helplessly, restrained, battered and bruised right in front of him. There was no going back for him.

He couldn't imagine life without Teyla.

So, upon seeing her restrained body, furious and unable to help, he did the only other thing he could think of – he went to her.

Strained, exhausted, and with little hope, he stood inches away from Teyla. With tears in her eyes, she met his gaze.

This was not the first time he'd seen Teyla hurt. Hell, sometimes, it was him that caused her the injury like the many times he'd accidentally hit her with the banta stick while sparring.

One time, while teaching her football, he playfully tackled her, causing them both to fall in the freezing waters of Atlantis. Never did he think that this unplanned swim race would be the cause of a nasty cold to both of them. As a result, an overprotective and overly cautious Weir and Carson quarantined them each to their quarters for one week.

And then there was the time he gratefully wrapped his arms around her waist hauling her towards him, to avoid a Wraith stunner from hitting her. Yet, never did he realize that the fall to the ground would keep them for two days in the infirmary with a concussion.

But this time, it was different. The inevitable was obvious. Teyla was going to die if he didn't do something soon.

As he leaned and lightly caressed her shiny golden skin, he wiped away the tears rolling down her face.

"Don't cry, Teyla. We're not dead, yet."

Suddenly, he heard Elizabeth's voice on his earpiece.

"John. We're trying everything to override the codes. Rodney is certain he can do it, but he needs more time. How's Teyla?"

"She needs to get medical help. Tell McKay to stop fooling around and to just get us the hell out of here."

"We are working on it, John. What about you?"

"Me? I have a bit of a headache; I think I dislocated my shoulder blade when I threw the wrench at the screen."

Teyla raised a brow, and he shrugged his shoulders.

"He did what?" John could hear Rodney in the background from his earpiece.

"We'll get you both to safety soon, John."

"Well right now a miracle might…" As he looked back at Teyla, his eyes lit up with a hint of hope. "The Daedalus! Isn't it on its way here? Have them beam us out of here."

Teyla breathed in deeply.

"We've already contacted the Daedalus, but they're still out of range, John. Colonel Caldwell is aware of the situation, and he's put Hermiod to work on a solution."

"Fine, keep us informed. Sheppard out."

As the main doors closed, Teyla let out a deep breath. Both watched as the shield touched the floor blocking the only way out of the room.

As his fingers traced her weary cheeks, and his eyes spoke silent words, he whispered in her ear, "I know what it feels like to be without you. I made a promise never to leave you ever again."

He rested his forehead against hers, and carefully, his fingers moved to the back of her neck as his eyes gazed into hers.

"I always keep my promises."

Teyla lowered her head and tears flushed down her cheeks. Unable to control his emotions, John held her chin up and tenderly brushed his lips with hers. He felt her body loosened as she conceded and deepened the kiss.

Soon, all the emotions swirling through his body, the times he's dreamt of kissing her, the moments he's shared with her, and the ones he wish he'd spent with her, all were let go in one kiss.

Everything stood still, as John cupped Teyla's face with both of his hands, never intending of letting her go. He intensified the kiss as he danced around her mouth in a heated bliss of desire.

As the thought of failing the woman he loved, John's mind quickly flashed in visions of what might have been, of what life with Teyla loving him would be like. And if this kiss was any sign of how she felt about him, he knew that he would have been the happiest man in the world with the most beautiful woman in any galaxy standing by his side, loving him.

If this was to be their end, what better way than with the woman he loved?

In this kiss, he emptied all of his feelings in that one moment.

He accepted his fate, but he had to tell her the truth.

Stopping for air between kisses, John whispered, "Teyla, I …."

She stopped him with a kiss. Reluctantly, she parted her lips and whispered, "You love me."

"Yes!" it was all that was left in him to say. There was no time for confessions; he wanted to show her just how much he loved her.

Just as she opened her mouth to speak, John's lips devoured hers and nothing was going to hold him back now. What little he had to give, what restricted condition they were faced with, he intended for her to feel everything in him that he could give considering their circumstances.

Their lips became one, and their bodies molded as in one final act of communion.

Is this goodbye, or is this the beginning?

He didn't know and he didn't care.

John loved Teyla. That within itself was the beginning of an end.

With all his heart and soul, John gave his all to Teyla in a kiss.

Suddenly and without warning, a while light formed underneath their feet encircling John and Teyla's body as it rose up to completely engulf the two bodies in a breathtaking spectacle of rays of blue and white lights merging as one.

A new screen came to life showing the combined silhouette of two perfectly compatible bodies united in a perfect match.

Sparks of electricity lighted the room as the remaining screens and the control modules ignited in a heated spectacle. As the system downloaded and interpreted this new information, it began to reprogram causing it to go on overdrive and ultimately short circuit the entire lab.

Everything was destroyed, but nevertheless, it was a sight to see. An array of fire, lights and sparks showered the room with a colorful display of fireworks right before the final collapse of the Ancient technology ceased to exist.

Yet, John and Teyla completely disregarded the entire scene. In their mind, the end was near.

Stray in notion, John never felt the exact moment when Teyla's hands roamed his chest, seductively advance to his shoulders and ultimately caress his face as her body pressed against his. He missed as her tiny feet tiptoed to gain better access to his lips.

Not wanting to disappoint her, his lips ravished her lips, pecked her neck, and grazed her lips again in a continuous pattern.

Yet his eyes never witnessed or even realized that Teyla's restraints had suddenly vanished. The blue light no longer restrained her neck, gripped her hands, clutched her waist, or seized her feet.

Only minutes ago, there was horror and death. Now, John embraced her in his arms, never intending to let her go.

He surrendered his mind, body, and soul to the feeling that only Teyla could arouse in him. Lovingly, his hands gently cupped her face, while his lips coaxed hers in a tender act of love and desire.

With a swift move, Teyla took control. She stepped back and gazed in his eyes with only one thing in mind.

"Teyla?" he barely managed as they continued to kiss passionately.

What happened next completely took him by surprise. In his mind, in the heat of the moment, Teyla showed an inexplicable strength that allowed her to suddenly switch positions as she pinned John to the wall, her body straddling seductively against his.

He couldn't explain it, but he wondered where this sudden burst of energy and strength came from after what she'd just been through. If he had to guess, it's almost as if a part of him transferred within her as they kiss, for he certainly had loads of strength left in him as well. Although, he couldn't explain that either.

"_Nah,"_ He thought, _"That doesn't make any sense."_

That was the last coherent thought John Sheppard had in his mind before he indulged Teyla with kisses and she tantalized him with a touch and a graze that caused him to moan into an ecstasy of pleasure.

As the alarm ceased, the sparks and fire relinquish, the light cloud of smoke cleared, the steel wall raised and the sealed door opened, John and Teyla knew and felt nothing more than each others' tender caress.

Suddenly, a beam of light shone down on them, and the two embracing bodies dematerialized as one.

Back in the control room, Elizabeth Weir, Rodney McKay, Ronon, and the rest of the officers held their breath as they waited to hear from the Daedalus.

"We have them Dr. Weir. Colonel Sheppard and Teyla Emmagan have been safely transported to our medical room. We have the best team here, and we'll take care of them until we can land safely in Atlantis," reported Colonel Caldwell.

The only noise he heard in return was the relieved laughter of the gathered crowd.

Back in the infirmary, the medics in the Daedalous were stunned as the beam of light displayed two figures bounded together.

Instead of seeing two injured patients materialize in the infirmary, the medics witnessed as Colonel Sheppard and Teyla Emmagan appeared as one, kissing fervently without acknowledging their audience.

Shocked and confused, one of the medics was about to speak when John reluctantly parted his lips from Teyla.

"Are we in the Daedalous?" he asked.

The medic nodded.

"Good," John turn to Teyla who smiled.

They caught their breath and instinctively joined foreheads.

John whispered, "Are you alright?"

"Yes," she gasped.

"You know, this is the start of something," he stated with a grin.

"No," she teased.

John raised his eyebrow in confusion.

"This is an end to the beginning," she stated as she gazed into his eyes."

"And the beginning of something new," he smiled as she wrapped her arms around him.

Fin...

_HOOORAY! Another finished fic..._

_Let me know what you think..._


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